SALADS AND VEGETABLESSalads are so important to the healthy Greek diet that a Greek will not sit down to a main meal without a salad to accompany the meal.
The Greeks have always relied on local, seasonal home grown vegetables to include in its diet, especially through its frugal times in history. Because of this, they have been inspired to create many different ways of cooking a wide variety of vegetables to enhance their meals. Vegetables have been used fresh, tossed in delicious dressings, stuffed - like stuffed peppers or used in a stuffing, roasted - like briami, baked and used in dips - like eggplant dip. You can never become bored eating the same old vegetables when following a Greek diet!
The Greek diet has always been naturally healthy. The food is cooked with olive oil rather than butter. Salads and vegetables have olive oil based dressings rather than a rich fatty mayonnaise. It is the importance of salads, along with an unprocessed diet, olive oil and fruits which have convinced experts of the significant health aspects of the Greek and Mediterranean diet.
Vegetables grow well in the warm sunny climate of Greece and play a dominant role at every meal. You will always find a dish of raw salad vegetables on the table at meal times, along with the main meal which often consists of cooked vegetables as well, with meat in the meal in smaller quantities or more often fish. Greeks will go to great lengths to use fresh seasonal vegetables in their salad dishes to provide meals that appeal to our senses as well as tasting delicious. From simple herbs and good quality olive oil chosen with care, it is a labour of love to create a fresh well-flavoured meal. The salads and vegetable dishes in this section can be served as accompaniment to main meals, some however, are satisfying enough to be used for a light lunch along with a serve of fresh crusty bread.
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